Rafa Benitez Christmas Present

Its getting near that time of year.
The shops are filling up with Christmas stuff.
Your partner very soon will start dropping hints of what to buy. :
Its are new owners Gillett and Hicks 1st Christmas at Anfield.

Do you think Rafa has started dropping hints what he would like for a Christmas and New Year present.

Lets say the owners have said you can have one big present.

What would you like Rafa to buy, bearing in mind he can only have one.

A winger;
A forward;
A defender;
If its any of the above, then who?

or maybe none of the above;
might be a razor or some aftershave or even a pair of socks.

I'm off to Turkey on Sat. morning for 2 weeks of sun sand and s??.
So it will be nice to read your thoughts when i get back.
And may the red force to with you all.

I would like Rafa to buy a winger. Purely because of the fact that I believe Riise's services will no longer be needed at the club, along side and maybe Harry Kewell.

So we will need one quality winger.

We need players who are going to add something special to the team in their own way.

So far, all the new signings have- so I am confident that Rafa will do the right thing!!!

YNWA

i really dont no why everyone on here dislikes riise, yea he has had a prety bad start (ok terrible) but i think he is a really good player for us on his day. Even still he is a bit strange, he is not defencive enough for a let back, yet not attacking enough for a left midfield hmm not sure about that. I would like the option of a very skillful winger (ie Quaresma, but the bidding begins at £25 million apparently so thats unrealistic this seaon anyway) So perhaps someone solid on the wings like Stew Downing??

I'm off to Turkey on Sat. morning for 2 weeks of sun sand and s??.

Don't rub it in mate!!!

Samir Nasri.

At the moment it seems that we could do with a left winger.  Someone that has a lot of flair and can get past the full backs regulary.

i rate samir nasri too....great talent!!!

I really dont no why everyone on here dislikes riise, yea he has had a prety bad start (ok terrible) but I think he is a really good player for us on his day. Even still he is a bit strange, he is not defencive enough for a let back, yet not attacking enough for a left midfield hmm not sure about that. I would like the option of a very skillful winger (ie Quaresma, but the bidding begins at £25 million apparently so thats unrealistic this seaon anyway) So perhaps someone solid on the wings like Stew Downing??

I like Riise i think he is a good player but like you said he needs to make up his mind, tell benitez that he is an attacker or a defender. I think we should have got quaresma, he would've solved our problems in CL

Riise has been wowfull this season for the following, and i noticed it towards the end of last season:
- whenever he gets the ball, he wants to shoot (no matter where he is on the pitch)...he's been a hog in that regard....
- he's too slow for a left back, he's too scared to tackle and get 'stuck in' to be a left back, and lacks alot of intensity and urgency in his game.
- he cant be a left winger, as he cant cross the ball, he doesnt have the skill to beat players (i dont call kick the ball and chase it, skill...)
- he's not good enough for this team, and im sure he wont be good enough for Rafa's future plans either....

Wot about Ryan Babel for the left wing? He still has a lot to learn, but surely if Rafa was to give him a chance more often we could see wot he is like.

the kid is 19 or 20 years old...give him a chance (Babel)

I want Rafa to put his pride in his back pocket for Xmas and ask Pako Ayerestan back to Melwood.

Rafa has always been too distant from the playing staff (as Pako is the good cop role).

You can't just drop your no.2 who you have been with at Tenerife, Valencia and Liverpool over the last 11 years and expect things to just click-in and continue as if nothing has happened.

I think Rafa is BADLY missing his side-kick, left-hand-man, and if he doesn't do something about that soon, he will lose the dressing room (who loved Pako), the media (who are already rotating-turning on him) and Parry/G&H support...

My message to Rafael - watch your step and think carefully about what you need to do to get Pako back to the club.

Pako hasn't formally left yet - I believe he is still on paid gardening leave (to protect LFC from Pako going to another Premiership club THIS season) - so this can be resolved quite quickly (I HOPE!) with a good heart-to-heart and Benitez's Cojones being put firmly into his back pocket.

Not many singing "Rafa, Rafael..." last night was there?

Lets say the owners have said you can have one big present.

What would you like Rafa to buy, bearing in mind he can only have one.

A winger;
A forward;
A defender;
If its any of the above, then who?

None of those for christmas, as the transfer window starts in January

None of those for christmas, as the transfer window starts in January

Ooh Tommo, sarcasm is the lowest form of wit

he needs an anti-roation system for christmas 

Pako hasn't formally left yet - I believe he is still on paid gardening leave (to protect LFC from Pako going to another Premiership club THIS season) - so this can be resolved quite quickly (I HOPE!) with a good heart-to-heart and Benitez's Cojones being put firmly into his back pocket.

Christ that'd hurt, pulling them to your back pocket! 

Not many singing "Rafa, Rafael..." last night was there?

I was, but I was in the Main-Stand where no-one likes singing!  :'( 

Good point made there mate! I don't really feel that it is Ayesteran's leaving that has started this blip, but I agree with your 'good cop' theory! I'd never really thought of that!

For Christmas (or the January Sales if that's better Mrtommo! ) I'd like Benitez to ask for Quaresma! I feel, when we're fully fit, our team is more or less covered! But Kewell won't be in, and Riise is lacking form! Babel and Quaresma along with Pennant and Yossi would sort us for some creative flair!  We'll see what happens!

Rafa could get the sack for xmas.

Rafa could get the sack for xmas.

No that would not be good for the club would it?

The best in the business... just sacked (or let go of) his numero dos (Pako) - which was a shameful episode tbh.

For Christmas (or the January Sales if that's better Mrtommo! ) I'd like Benitez to ask for Quaresma! I feel, when we're fully fit, our team is more or less covered! But Kewell won't be in, and Riise is lacking form! Babel and Quaresma along with Pennant and Yossi would sort us for some creative flair!  We'll see what happens!

Much better mate
Thing is about Quaresma, he will still be in the Champs League with Porto - so no chance of signing him.

At the moment it seems that we could do with a left winger.  Someone that has a lot of flair and can get past the full backs regulary.

And why didn't he buy this player when he had the chance to? To me Rafa Benitez is far too stubborn!
Please don't say Ryan Babel is our player to do that job, he's far too young and inexperienced to be expected to do that!

Much better mate
Thing is about Quaresma, he will still be in the Champs League with Porto - so no chance of signing him.

True enough! Other than him though, I can't really see anyone who'd bolster the squad! Should just ask Father Christmas for a place in the knockout stages then!

Top of the league for xmas should be what Rafa should think about. We need to react and quick, no new players, there are enough in the squad to do the job. Get it sort it RAFA.

Wot about Ryan Babel for the left wing? He still has a lot to learn, but surely if Rafa was to give him a chance more often we could see wot he is like.

I was thinking more on the lines of playing him more as a striker, selling crouch and buying a world class winger.  We can't be taking babel out of the picture this early!

Sell Crouch and buy Klaas Jan Huntelaar?
Ajax aren't in the champion's league IIRC...and he's a goalscorer.

Sell Crouch and buy Klaas Jan Huntelaar?
Ajax aren't in the champion's league IIRC...and he's a goalscorer.

No that's what I call a good idea!

Huntelaar is great striker.
If he wont play Crouch, then sell him. We will get a few million for him, maybe 10.
Totally agree U-Borat.

Huntelaar is great striker.
If he wont play Crouch, then sell him. We will get a few million for him, maybe 10.
Totally agree U-Borat.

With Babel and Kuyt ... Klaas will get a little dutch clique going along with the English (SG, JP, JC) and Spanish (PR, XA, AA, FT) cliques... one big clique to success!

I think a few new young, first teamers would be key along with an experienced campaigner. Someone who will lead the team when our other leaders are out. Someone like Sami but maybe in a midfield role just to help out and keep the team gelling and who can perform on the pitch.
Any idea's?

someone like Van Bommel?

I think a winger if he can he should buy ronaldo

A new tie for his up and coming interviews!  Only Jesting.

....nobody said that they want a defender yet?
I say two! Left back and a mobile center back for cover.

From sky sports

Manchester United and Liverpool are reportedly scouting Monaco star Jeremy Menez.
The 20-year-old signed for Monaco from Sochaux in June 2006 and is rated as one of France's most gifted young talents.
Menez, who has been likened to France legend Zinedine Zidane, has scored three goals in nine appearances so far this season.
The starlet made a real name for himself when he became the youngest player to score a hat-trick in Ligue 1 at the age of 17.
Emergency
Meanwhile, coach Ricardo Gomes has admitted that the onus is on him to turn things around and choose the correct combination of players.
Gomes' men succumbed to their fourth straight loss on Friday with a 3-1 home defeat against Nancy, and the Brazilian is focused on resolving their form.
"I hope soon that I will be able to play my very best team, because now we are in an emergency situation," he said.
"What happens now is incumbent on me. It is up to me to find the correct formula and above all the balance in the team."

oh no another "new zidane" being linked to us avoid him like the plague!! 

I know bad memories -- Bruno "zidane"

How about they buy Ryan Babel an alarm clock so he wake up for match day! According to Soccernet, Babel didnt start for Holland over the weekend because he overslept and arrived late for a team meeting or meal...